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Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Rome. The prestigious Vatican-sponsored Premio Internazionale Giuseppe
Sciacca, named after the architecture student Giuseppe Sciacca (1960-1986) who died young but
lived long enough to be proposed as an exemplary role model to the new
generations, saw the 11-year-old American Cody McCasland as the winner
of the 2102 edition of the prize.

This
ìnternational prize is the culmination of a charity event
that annually awards persons who, in their lives or in their fields of activity, have
distinguished themselves as a commendable role model in society. The award ceremony took place in the Pontifical Urbaniana University on
Saturday evening, November 10th, 2012, and was presided over by its honorary chairman, His Eminence Cardinal Dario Castrillón Hoyos, supported by
the prize president, Rev. Professor Bruno Lima, who is also president of the
Institute of International Juridical Economic and Social Studies, ISGESI.

The
young Cody McCasland is double, above-knee amputee. He was born with a rare
birth defect that caused his legs to form missing both his tibias and knees. He
has been receiving care at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children (TSRHC) since
he was just two months old. After numerous consultations, it was decided that
it was in Cody's best interest to amputate his legs through the knee to give
him a chance at mobility. This surgery was completed when Cody was just 15
months old, and he received his first set of prostheses when he was 17 months
old. At the age of 10, Cody had undergone more than 20 surgeries, has gone
through more than 20 sets of prosthetic legs, and traveled to 14 states for
sports or as a Challenged Athletes Foundation Spokesperson.